Saturday, August 10, 2013

a short story from twelve years ago

     Finally, after four long years of dating, Adam and I were thrilled when our wedding day arrived. All of the wedding details had been carefully taken care of,  and we were ready to sign that marriage license and start this new journey together. However, we had one slight problem. Actually it was a BIG problem. It caused me waves of anxiety and nausea and I felt like I was stuck on a roller coaster that was beating down on an old rickety track going in a fast forward pace. We were heading towards our wedding day at gusto speed and had NO WHERE to live. Not a house, an apartment, no where.
Adam had just graduated from school and was spending his energy and time looking for a job in his areas of expertise. We didn't know where Adam would get a job and where we would end up moving. This was not a good situation because the planning in me couldn't plan and organize; and I knew that given my history of homesickness I would need to be close to my parents. If possible I wanted to hear the same train that they hear AND at the same time that they would hear the train passing through. To me that was a good guideline in terms of location.  (And in case you are thinking that that it explains why we are neighbours with my parent's now, it was Adam's idea to buy this house:)
I shouted for joy when Adam called me one evening and said that he got a job close by and that we could start looking for a home or an apartment in our area.
After some searching we found an apartment that we could rent BUT, there is a big BUT, it was not available until a month after our wedding date.
We did some planning and phone calling and finally figured things out - sort of.
On the first week we would be on our honeymoon so that was one week taken care of and three more to find shelter for.
On week number two my parents and sisters would be on their summer vacation so we could live in their home while they were gone. It was a little awkward living there for a week because before the wedding Adam and I were never alone at my parent's home and now we had the whole house to ourselves.  
On week three and four, Adam and I moved into my Oma's home while she was away. This is when I almost got hives from worrying. My Oma lived in a granny flat, also known as the trailer, on my uncle Brian's property. I would of rather lived in an igloo instead of spending two weeks as a newly wed on my uncle Brian's property. My uncle is KNOWN for his jokes and pranks and while growing up, I had heard enough stories of his pranks that could fill a book. I knew that Adam and I would be the recipients of something, I just didn't know what. I also knew that whatever happened, this story would spread like wildfire.
 While we stayed in my Oma's trailer I was on high alert. Every night before we went to bed I made sure that the windows and the doors were all locked. I also didn't want to have our lights turned off too early or too late. You know what I mean. I checked the closets and cupboards for someone or something that could pop out on us. Adam told me as gently as a newly wedder could that I was over reacting and that I should just relax. I told Adam that he was new to our family and that he had no idea what could happen to us.
Finally our two weeks were almost up and I was tired of being on "high alert."
Late one evening I came home from work after an evening shift and there it was. I burst out laughing.
Big, bold letters were written on a sign. The sign was set up right in front of the trailer and in the dark of the night, a flood light shone on the words.
There it was for everyone to see.
                                                        IF THIS TRAILER IS A ROCK'N
                                                         DON'T COME A KNOCK'N

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